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A Dream of Flight
Saturday, September 14, 2024, 7:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church, Monterey
Sunday, September 15, 2024, 5:00 pm
Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
A Dream Fondly Remembered
Saturday, November 23, 2024, 7:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church, Monterey
Sunday, November 24, 2024, 5:00 pm
Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
A Sweet Dream
First Presbyterian Church, Monterey
Sunday, January 26, 2025, 5:00 pm
Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
A Dream of Tomorrow
First Presbyterian Church, Monterey
Sunday, March 23, 2025, 7:00 pm
Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
CONCERT 2 – November 23 & 24, 2024
Our second concert is A Dream Fondly Remembered. For this set we have programed works from our past repertoire which we performed a very long time ago, but to which we must say a sentimental goodbye. We have included Górecki’s Little Requiem for a Polka. The piece is as odd as its title, but please trust us when we say that this is one of the most spiritually significant compositions Maestro Anderson knows. We can’t recognize our greatest friends without a major work by composer Stephen Tosh. We perform his Chamber Symphony, written for and dedicated to Ensemble Monterey. We can’t do a final season without Edgard Varèse’s Octandre. In this incredible work the composer incorporates the principles of nuclear fission in music. He went on to “invent” electronic music. Don’t worry. We guarantee that you all will survive! And for those of you like Maestro Anderson, for whom “why” is a constant, we have included Charles Ives’ The Unanswered Question; one of the great spiritual inquiries in all Western culture.
CONCERT 3 – January 25 & 26, 2025
Our third concert is A Sweet Dream. Here, we have included past works of outstanding lyricism. Our centerpiece is Brahms’ Second Serenade; a masterpiece from the genius of melodic and harmonic beauty. We combine this with Gustav Holst’s Saint Paul’s Suite and Jean Françaix’s 9 Pièces Charactéristiques. It’s as sweet as you can get. (Savory snacks will be provided!)
CONCERT 4 – March 22 & 23, 2025
Our final concert is A Dream of Tomorrow. We will feature two major works from young, emerging master composers of the 21st Century. Virtuoso Soprano Lori Schulman returns to solo in Christopher Cerrone’s The Pieces That Fall to Earth. Cerrone is a young winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the Rome Prize (formerly the Prix de Rome). We are then joined, once again, by the accomplished vocal ensemble Cantiamo! to perform Jocelyn Hagen’s The Notebooks of Leonardo de Vinci. Notebooks is a revolutionary new multi-media work rapidly gaining international fame. It will be conducted by Maestra Cheryl Anderson.
Please note that this concert begins at 7 PM, unlike the other concerts in Santa Cruz. You’ll see why we made this change when you come to the concert!
A Heartfelt Thank You to our supporters
Ensemble Monterey extends its deepest gratitude to all our incredible supporters who generously contributed to our success throughout 2023. Your donations have played a vital role in empowering us to create beautiful music and bring captivating performances to life. With your unwavering support, we continue to inspire audiences and nurture the talent of our musicians. Thank you for being an integral part of our musical journey and for your dedication to preserving the arts.
Together, we harmonize to create something truly extraordinary.
With deep appreciation, Ensemble Monterey is supported by:
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Music Always Matters!
Although we are now a “well established” chamber orchestra, our continuing passion is to discover the new: to present compositions that widen, and sometime challenge both ourselves and you, our audience. We continue our dedication to the thrill of discovery.